H.Con.Res. 38 · Where this bill is now
Failed in the House
Failed Mar 5, 2026
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryDirect President to end Iran hostilities
This resolution would instruct the President to stop any U.S. Armed Forces involvement in hostilities against Iran or the Iranian government unless Congress has formally declared war or authorized military force for that purpose. The resolution includes an exception: it wouldn't prevent the U.S. from defending itself if facing an imminent attack from Iran.
How it affects you
This affects members of the U.S. military who might be deployed in operations related to Iran, as it would limit the President's ability to engage in such hostilities without Congressional approval. For the general public, it touches on the broader question of how military decisions get made and who has the power to commit U.S. forces to conflict.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jun 17, 2025)
This concurrent resolution directs the President to terminate the use of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran or any part of the Iranian government or military unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted.
The resolution specifies that it shall not be construed to prevent the United States from defending itself from imminent attack.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH.Con.Res. 38
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) · Introduced Jun 17, 2025 · International Affairs · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 5, 2026: “Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Agreeing to the Resolution · Mar 5, 2026
Agreeing to the Resolution Failed 212–219
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 210 | 4 | 0 |
| Republicans | 2 | 215 | 1 |
6 members voted against most of their party: 4 Democrats voted No and 2 Republicans voted Yes.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.